Winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary, the directors of No Other Land—Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor—took the opportunity to make an impassioned appeal for justice, calling on the global community to act against what they described as the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. Their speech stood out as one of the most politically charged moments of the evening.
"We urge the world to take meaningful action to put an end to this injustice and stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians," Adra, a Palestinian journalist and activist, declared on stage. He also shared a personal moment, revealing that he recently became a father. "Two months ago, I welcomed my daughter into the world. My greatest hope is that she doesn’t have to grow up in the same conditions I have endured. No Other Land is a reflection of the struggles we have faced for decades, and yet, we continue to resist."
Abraham, an Israeli journalist, emphasised the collaborative nature of the film, which brought together both Palestinian and Israeli perspectives. "This documentary exists because we believe our voices are stronger together," he explained. "We recognise each other’s pain—Gaza’s destruction must stop, and the Israeli hostages taken on October 7 must be freed."
The documentary tells the story of a Palestinian family displaced from their home in the West Bank due to Israeli government policies. As their lives are upended, an unlikely bond forms between Adra and Abraham, illustrating the complexity of the conflict.
During his speech, Abraham pointed out the stark disparity between his own life and Adra’s. "We do not live under the same conditions. I have the privileges of civilian law, while Basel is forced to exist under military rule that controls every aspect of his life," he said. "But another path is possible—one that moves beyond ethnic supremacy and instead recognises the rights of both our peoples."
He also criticised the role of U.S. foreign policy, particularly under former President Donald Trump, arguing that it has hindered progress toward a resolution. "Why is it so difficult to understand that our futures are connected?" he asked. "True safety for my people can only exist when Basel’s people are also free and secure."
Since its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival—where it won both the top documentary jury award and the audience prize—No Other Land has gained widespread acclaim. It has been screened at major festivals in Toronto, Vancouver, and New York.
Even without wide distribution, No Other Land has reached audiences through limited theatrical screenings, with a release in New York City beginning January 31 and in Los Angeles starting February 7.
